


Who Needs Valentine's Day?

by MadSophHatter



Category: Pride (2014)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Ice-Skating, M/M, Valentine's Day, date, tw homophobic slurs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-01
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-10 01:26:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3271667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadSophHatter/pseuds/MadSophHatter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike wants to do something special for their first Valentine's Day together, but Mark makes it very clear that he isn't the romantic type and has no intentions to buy into this capitalist scam of a holiday. So on February 14th Mike is prepared to spend the evening alone and miserable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Who Needs Valentine's Day?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [felixdwkins](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=felixdwkins).



> Disclaimer: The characters in this fic don't belong to me. They are based on the characters seen in the film Pride and have nothing to do with actual people.

It was February 2nd and Mark and Mike were having an evening in. They spent it on the couch watching crap telly, Mark occasionally mocking the stupidity of the shows. They were occupying their usual positions on the couch. Mike was sprawled on it and Mark was leaning against him, his head on Mike’s chest. It was comfortable and Mike could reach enough unprotected parts of Mark’s torso in order to tickle his boyfriend into silence if necessary. It felt like being an old married couple, except Mike had never expected that that could feel so good.

“So what are we doing on Valentine’s Day?”, he asked into the mental vacuum created by a commercial break. Mark just gave him an exaggerated disbelieving look.

“Nothing I guess. I’m working. I told you I’m not into all this couple stuff. And especially not on that day! As if actual lovers needed one special day to show each other their love. I’m telling you it’s just a capitalist scam to boost the flower and chocolate industry.”

Before Mark could throw himself into one of his infamous rants, Mike’s fingers started running over his rips, shutting him up as his words turned into puffs of laughter. “I get it. Who needs Valentine’s Day? Now shush, the film is starting”, Mike whispered into his boyfriend’s ear. He was proud that his voice hadn’t betrayed his disappointment.

“Fine. I’ll be quiet”, Mark panted as he batted Mike’s fingers away. 

Mike wasn’t sure if the film wasn’t engaging or if it was just him. He couldn’t concentrate. It felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Of course, Mark was right – he’d said from the start that he didn’t do romance and Mike had still wanted to be with him so there was nothing he could say about it now.

Actually it wasn’t even true. Mark was very much capable of being romantic. He showed his love on a daily basis through a myriad of tiny actions. If the gentle fingertips currently caressing Mike’s chest and stomach weren’t enough to convince him, the fact that Mark had voiced his love about three times this evening alone would certainly have done the trick. Usually that was enough for him, but a grand gesture every now and then wouldn’t have hurt.

How delusional he must have been to think that it would have been nice to do something special, something memorable on their first Valentine’s Day together. 

***

It was February 14th and Mike was cold and miserable. Walking the few stops from the tube to their flat because the bus was late had turned out to be a bad idea. It gave him too much time to contemplate that he’d have to spent the next few hours sad and alone in front of the small TV that Mark had brought into their shared household.

That prick, Mike thought as his hand held on to his bag, feeling the box of chocolates he’d bought. He’d tried to walk past the shop, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. They were Mark’s favourites, and it was Valentine’s Day, and he was obviously a fool in love. The strap of the bag lay heavy on his shoulder.

He’d desperately tried to find something, anything else to do tonight. He’d asked his friends but all of them had rubbed their plans with their lovers in his face. Wankers – every single one of them! Even Steph, who didn’t have a girlfriend at the moment, had claimed that she had places to be, things to do. Mike felt betrayed.

His fingers were so cold they felt as if they might break when he bent them around the keys and unlocked the door to the house. Upstairs it was a bit better. The sudden heat of the blood rushing back into his icy digits made him feel even clumsier. When the door was finally open, Mike was hit by an unexpected wave of warmth. It was accompanied by the smell of cocoa and Indian takeout, which shouldn’t have gone together, but actually it did. 

A warm glow from the kitchen cast wavy moving light into the room, drawing deep shadows on the person sitting on the floor right in front of the door. Mike’s heart stopped for a moment until he realised it was Mark sitting there. He looked up at him like a child waiting for Father Christmas on Christmas Eve. His hands were playing with a single red rose. His cheeks were round and very pinchable due to the wide grin on his face.

“You’re late”, Mark said.

“I didn’t know I was expected”, Mike retorted, closing the door behind him. “How long have you been waiting?”, he asked, feeling slightly guilty.

“Ten minutes or so. But it felt like forever. I was afraid you’d spontaneously decided to go out on your own.”

“Oh, I should’ve. Would’ve served you right. You bastard, you lied to me!” Any pretence of real anger was ruined by the wide grin on Mike’s face. And he couldn’t stop smiling even as his cheeks started to hurt.

Mark laughed in turn and held his hands up to let Mike pull him onto his feet. He used the momentum and let himself fall against Mike’s chest. Their lips met as Mark cupped his face with both hands. Mike laughed into the kiss as the rose petals tickled his ear.

When they finally came up for air, Mark took his hand and led him to the kitchen. A myriad of candles was spread on the window sill and the counters, filling the room with a warm glow. On the table there were containers with Indian food and two mugs with hot chocolate. It smelled like home – very intensely so. Overwhelmed by all the impressions Mike could only mutter, “Thank god you didn’t cook!”

“I’m madly in love, not just mad”, Mark chuckled. Both of them had desperately tried and failed to forget Mark’s last attempt at cooking and the disaster it had resulted in.

Their meal was mostly spent in silence. Mike was busy soaking up the atmosphere and warmth of it all. They were holding hands across the table, absentmindedly caressing each other’s fingers while they enjoyed their chicken korma. Mike’s cheeks were glowing and he wasn’t sure how it even worked that he could be smiling so much and eat at the same time.

When they’d finished their dinner, Mike retreated to their living area, leaving the job of blowing out all the candles and clearing the table to his boyfriend. Mark was quick about it. When Mike was about to sit down in his usual spot on the sofa, his lover was already right behind him to say, “Ah ah, old man. No TV tonight. It’s a special occasion after all.”

He grabbed Mike’s hand and pulled him to the entrance of the flat. Mark said, “You have to get dressed. We’re going ice-skating.”

Mike blinked a few times in surprise as he was handed his jacket. “How did you know?”

“I do listen to you when you talk to me, you tit. You said you liked ice-skating, and that you’re good at it, and I thought it’s a romantic thing to do for Valentine’s Day. I found your skates somewhere in the unknown depths of our closet”, Mark explained while he got dressed.

“Yeah, but I told you that like a couple of years ago. How do you still know that?” Mike sounded incredulous. 

“I’ve got a great memory”, Mark retorted, laughing at the face his boyfriend was making. Mike was desperately trying to remember every stupid drunken confession he might have made in Mark’s presence. There were far too many though. The other man stood on his toes to hug him and whispered into his ear, “It might also have something to do with me being a sucker for ice hockey players and figure skaters. I find them rather sexy and I might’ve been fantasizing about you ice-skating while I did dirty things to myself.”

The husky voice made Mike’s ears burn and blush. Mark was obviously pleased with the effect as he placed a kiss on his lover’s cheek.

***

When they arrived at the ice rink, there were more people than Mark had expected. Of course many couples had thought this was a romantic idea for a date. He could have anticipated that. This wasn’t how he’d imagined this date, but at least the air was filled with laughter and loud disco music – a good atmosphere to work with.

When they were sitting on a bench putting on their skates Mike asked, “Where did you even get those? I know I didn’t carry them when you moved in with me.”

Mark chuckled. “So you have quite the memory too. I borrowed them from a friend of course. Sometimes it pays to know so many people.” That statement set some thought process in motion. It was clearly visible on Mike’s face.

He seemed to have reached a conclusion as he pulled his eyebrows together and noted, “You told our friends to not do anything with me tonight.” It wasn’t a question.

“You’re only realising that now?”, Mark put on his brightest smile. “I couldn’t risk you making plans without me. Steph was the hardest to convince. I had to bribe her. I think she’s really lonely. Maybe we can do something about that.” Since this was the first time this thought occurred to him he automatically went through all the people he knew wondering who could be a good match for Steph.

His thoughts were interrupted by Mike giving him a little shove, saying, “But not tonight, Mark.”

“No, you’re right. Tonight’s for us”, he replied as he got up from the bench and pulled Mike to the entrance of the ice rink. Mark let go of him when he was about to step on the ice though.

“Wait”, Mike called out, “Have you done this before?”

“No, but I did a lot of roller-skating when I was a teenager. I heard that’s almost the same”, Mark replied just before he stepped onto the ice. “Come on, how hard can it be?” He hadn’t even finished saying that when he noticed how he was losing his footing on the slippery surface. Mark paddled with his arms, desperately trying to regain his balance. It had to look ridiculous. This was not how he’d imagined this date to go.

Just as he was sure there was no way around hitting the ground in the most embarrassing way, two strong arms grabbed him. Mike held him close, trying to steady both of them despite Mark’s ongoing flailing. When they finally stood still, both of them were panting and Mark was pressed against Mike’s chest in an almost comfortable way. This was more like it.

“Mark Ashton, you’re a fucking danger to yourself and others!” Mike actually sounded agitated.

“But you saved me.” Mark gave his boyfriend his best puppy eyes.

“Yeah. Barely! I almost fell too. But of course you’d drag me to the ground with you. What else would I expect?” Mark pouted even though he could see that Mike was actually grinning. His pout intensified when he was shoved against the barrier surrounding the rink unceremoniously. “I have to get used to this again. I haven’t gone ice-skating in years. Let me go a few rounds on my own. Then I’ll show you how it’s done. In the meantime you can get used to the ice. Try to go around holding on to the boards.” Mike pressed a quick kiss onto Mark’s lips and then he was gone – too fast for Mark to complain. 

It was ridiculous and embarrassing. Mark moved around the rink as slow as a snail, all the while holding on to the barrier with a death grip. This was certainly not how he’d imagined this date to go. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a fast movement just behind him. He almost fell again as he tried to turn around quickly. His face was burning with embarrassment when he realised that the fast movement behind him had been Mike, going by like greased lightning. Of course he had to have seen that almost-fall. This was not how this date was supposed to go.

Mark’s frustration took a backseat when he watched Mike for a bit longer though. He was skating fast, threading his way through all the other people without missing a beat. Mark leaned back against the barrier and just enjoyed watching his boyfriend for a bit. This was actually exactly what he’d planned for their date. It was always great to see Mike come out of his shell. But this was exceptional. He was oozing confidence and seemed to be taller and even broader as he got back into the mindset of an ice-hockey player. 

Mark was so impressed by this display of athletic prowess. He could feel his blood going south and had to turn back towards the boards in order to hide his excitement. Damn, a self-assured Mike was the sexiest thing he could imagine. Of course he always had this calm air of confidence, but this was different somehow. Who would have thought that there was an actual jock hidden somewhere in Mark’s smart bookish boyfriend?

Just when he’d calmed down enough that he could dare to turn around again, there were suddenly two hands on the barrier left and right of him, blocking his way. Mark could feel the warmth of a taller body pressing up against his back. Hot breath tickled his neck. Mike’s lips were almost close enough to touch his ear as he said in a raspy voice, “I think I’ve got it again. Want me to show you how it’s done?” So much for being able to turn around.

The heat was back on Mark’s face and other places of his body. He let his head hang to escape the sound of slight panting right behind him. “You fucking bastard,” he murmured as he pushed his arse back against Mike’s groin in revenge. He noted with satisfaction that it had the desired effect.

“So you weren’t lying about the dirty things earlier”, Mike chuckled before pressing a quick kiss to that sensitive spot right behind Mark’s left ear. 

Damn! It was all too much – especially considering that they were in public. Mike seemed to have come to that conclusion as well since he backed off a little. He moved to stand next to Mark. As he held on to the barrier, his hand brushed against his boyfriend’s.

When both of them had cooled down a bit, Mike took Mark’s hand and carefully pulled him further onto the ice. For a moment Mark just let himself be pulled, completely trusting his lover. As soon as he tried to move on his own, his balance faltered again, but Mike supported and steadied him instantly – reliable as always. This gave Mark the courage to try moving forward.

At first all he could manage were little steps that had nothing to do with the long gliding strides he’d seen Mike do earlier. The going was slow and harder than Mark had expected. The fact that he kept stumbling and almost falling every few yards didn’t make it any easier. Soon he was huffing and puffing from the exertion. Mike manoeuvered both of them to the boards so that Mark could catch his breath.

“You’re doing great”, Mike said, looking left and right before he pressed a kiss on Mark’s cheek. It certainly didn’t feel that way and Mark was going to protest. The happy and proud look on Mike’s face shut him right up though. So he just squeezed his lover’s hand and nodded.

They repeated this procedure of moving halfway around the rink and stopping for air and cuddles a few times. Mark’s skills improved quickly and Mike remarked on his impressive stamina, which led to wild innuendos. Still, after some time Mark got frustrated because he was slowing his lover down. He could also imagine that it wasn’t very exciting for Mike to supervise his baby steps. They reached a point where not even his boyfriend’s brilliant smile could console Mark. Mike seemed to sense his frustration.

He asked, “Do you want to go faster?” When Mark nodded, Mike skated in front of him, grabbing his other hand as well. He started going backwards, pulling Mark with him. It felt awkward at first. This was less tiring but it required a lot of trust and they were really going quite fast. Mark was amazed at how Mike was still able to navigate them through the crowd with only a few glances over his shoulder. The risk made Mark’s heart pound with excitement. It also seemed to heighten his perception. The cool wind in his hair and the warmth and gentle pressure from Mike’s hands on his felt more intense than seemed feasible. It was exhilarating.

What Mark loved most about this new mode of movement was the way Mike looked. It was obvious that he had to concentrate to keep them from falling or colliding with other people. His eyebrows were slightly pulled together. His body was buzzing with alert tension. It was so sexy that just being close to him made Mark want to find a quiet place and fuck his brains out. This was exactly what he’d imagined for this date

They only did this for a few laps though since it was quite a big strain on Mike’s legs. Subsequently Mike eased them towards the middle of the ice rink where there was a bit of unoccupied space. “Do you trust me?”, he asked and Mark nodded before he could even think of asking why that would be important now. “Good. Then hold on tight and tell me to stop if you need to.” With those words Mike started moving. They were turning in circles around the axis of their hands – faster and faster. 

The world around them became a blur of colours and sounds. The only one defined by clear edges was Mike. This strange kind of tunnel vision paired with the funny feeling in Mark’s stomach was mesmerising. The philosophical part of him would have called it a symbolic embodiment of their love. But he was so caught in the moment that his mind couldn’t form such elaborate ideas. Instead he just felt a giddiness that forged ahead in the form of laughter. Mike was laughing as well, which only intensified the experience of utter bliss.

After a few minutes Mike slowed them down and eased them back to the side of the ice rink. They leaned against the barrier, both of them panting. “Wow! That was so amazing – like a rollercoaster, just better because I could look at you”, Mark burst out.

Mike chuckled as he touched their foreheads together and closed his eyes. “You fucking tit! If you keep looking so damn gorgeous I’m gonna snog you in front of all these people. And then we’ll probably get banned from the place for indecency.”

“You ice-skating constitutes indecency. It’s a wonder we haven’t been thrown out on our arses yet”, Mark managed to say in between giggles. Both of them were so high on adrenaline that they couldn’t stop laughing.

It took a bit of time for them to calm down. As they stood there watching the other couples skating past them, Mike started talking. “You know when I was still in school I used to go on ice-skating dates like this. With girls.” Mark gave him an incredulous look but didn’t say anything. It wasn’t that uncommon to think that you were normal when you were young and didn’t know how love was supposed to feel. Mike coughed lightly before he continued, “I tried to do that spinning thing with each of them. It never worked. They all got scared and I had to stop. I was fucking miserable every time. I thought it had to mean they don’t trust me. Anyway I liked that you liked doing it.” Mike was blushing a bit, looking away like he’d said something stupid.

Mark just smiled at the realisation that he’d passed some kind of special personal test with flying colours. He took Mike’s hand and successfully pulled him back onto the ice. Since he had gotten better, he wanted to try taking a few steps on his own before they’d leave. So they went to the middle again, which was almost completely empty by now. Mark hadn’t even noticed that it was late and many people had already left. They’d spent about two hours on the ice and by now the exertion was taking its toll. 

Mike helped him to stand still in one place and then he moved a few feet away, waiting for Mark to come over to him. Mark had to be very careful and it probably didn’t look elegant, but it worked. He managed to close the distance between them in one piece. Mike’s open arms were motivation and reward. They did it again and again – each time with a slightly bigger distance. One time Mark did especially well, using slightly longer strides, being quite surefooted. When he found himself in Mike’s embrace, his boyfriend couldn’t help but press an innocent kiss onto his lips. 

As Mike let go of him, Mark heard someone behind him shout, “Fucking poofters!” It was such a harsh break of the mood that without thinking Mark whirled around to see the arsehole who’d said it. The fast movement made him lose balance. He fell on his arse, painfully twisting his ankle. Mark could hear gloating laughter from the direction the shout had come from. Before he could look up Mike was skating in front of him, braking in a way that made a fine wave of ice particles fly in the general direction of the guy who’d insulted them.

“Fuck off, you sod!”, Mike shouted, his voice a deep rumbling of rage. The pain did nothing to reduce Mark’s arousal at this aggressive display of manliness. He was worried that Mike might get into a fight though. That would not only ruin their date but it was also dangerous especially since Mark was in no state to help his boyfriend. 

When he looked past Mike, Mark saw that his concern was unfounded. The idiot who’d yelled at them was pulled away by a girl – probably his date – who seemed to be furious. She was shouting at him for being a rude embarrassing prick. The dumbfounded look on his face was almost comical.

Mike was crouching next to Mark now. “Can you stand?” He gave his lover a hand as he tried to stand up. Mark tried but had to give up because his ankle was hurting too much. He cursed inwardly because this was no fitting end for such a perfect evening. 

Mike – always the pragmatist – was more concerned with actually getting Mark off the ice. Without another word he put one arm around Mark’s back and one under his legs and started to lift him up. His lover held onto Mike instinctively as he was carried bridal style off the ice.

Mark’s eyes went wide with surprise. He’d never been carried like this and it did things to him. It felt surreally romantic. How could this even be happening? How the fuck was Mike so strong and sexy? Even all the eyes resting on them served more to turn Mark on than to deter him. 

Mike noticed his lover’s staring and asked, “What is it? Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, just if you carry me to bed like this you can have your wicked ways with me.” There was surprise on Mike’s face but only for a split second. Then he leaned in and kissed Mark. They were snogging each other’s brains out, while everyone was watching. Fuck getting banned for indecency. This was exactly how Mark had envisioned their date.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this little Valentine's one shot, please let me know. I'm always very happy about kudos and comments.
> 
> If you want more Pride headcanons and drabbles, have a look at my tumblr blog (I mainly write about Mark/Mike, Jonathan/Gethin, Joe/Jeff and Steph). There I'm called lilbasthet.


End file.
